Sony unleashes A7R II flagship full-frame camera

Sony has revealed a new flagship full-frame mirrorless camera in the shape of the 42.4-million-pixel Alpha 7R II

The Sony Alpha 7R II features what Sony bills as the world’s first back-illuminated 35mm (full-frame) CMOS imaging sensor.

Features includes an ISO expandable up to 102,400 and an AF response time claimed to be up to 40% faster than the original Alpha 7R, using 399 focal plane phase detection AF points, coupled with 25 contrast AF points.

The camera also includes a five-axis image stabilisation system borrowed from the acclaimed Alpha 7 II model and can shoot and record 4K video in multiple formats including Super 35mm (without pixel binning) and full-frame format, a world’s first for digital cameras. Additionally, it has a newly refined XGA OLED Tru-Finder with the world’s highest (0.78x) viewfinder magnification[ii].

High Resolution, high sensitivity and high-speed response The newly developed 42.4 MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor is the most advanced, versatile and highest resolution full-frame image sensor that Sony has ever created, allowing the Alpha 7R II to reach new levels of quality, sensitivity and response speed. In the past, many photographers have been forced to choose between high-resolution and high-speed or high resolution and high sensitivity when selecting a camera. The new Alpha 7R II eliminates that sacrifice thanks to its innovative image sensor.

The 42.4-MP-sensor combines gapless on-chip lens design and AR (anti-reflective) coating on the surface of the sensor’s glass seal to dramatically improve light collection efficiency, resulting in high sensitivity with low-noise performance and wide dynamic range. This allows the camera to shoot at an impressive ISO range of 100 to 25,600 that is expandable to ISO 50 to 102,400.

Additionally, the sensor’s back-illuminated structure, with an expanded circuit scale and copper wiring design, enables faster transmission speed and ensures content can be captured in high resolution without sacrificing sensitivity. Data can also output from the sensor at an approximately three-and-a-half times faster rate compared to the original Alpha 7R.

An ideal match for Sony’s extensive collection of FE lenses (35mm full-frame compatible E-mount lenses), the new Alpha 7R II features a high-speed BIONZ X image processing engine that allows images and video from the camera to be captured with supreme details and low noise. There is also no optical low pass filter on the camera, ensuring that scenery and landscapes are captured in the highest possible resolution and clarity.

The Alpha 7R II has a new highly durable reduced-vibration shutter that delivers 50% less vibration from shutter movements compared to its predecessor, and has a cycle durability of approximately 500,000 shots[iii]. The camera can also be set to silent shooting mode in order to shoot images quietly without any sensor vibration or movement.

The new image sensor features 399 focal-plane phase-detection AF points – the world’s widest AF coverage on a full-frame sensor – that work together with 25-contrast AF points to achieve focus response that is about 40% faster than the original model.

The Alpha 7R II utilises an advanced motion-detection algorithm combined with this Fast Hybrid AF system to achieve up to five fps continuous shooting with AF tracking.

Additionally, the focal plane phase-detection AF system on the Alpha 7R II works well with Sony A-mount lenses when they are mounted on the camera using an LA-EA3 or LA-EA1 mount adapter.

This allows users to enjoy the wide AF coverage of 399 focal plane phase-detection AF points, high-speed response and high tracking performance with a wider range of lenses. This marks the first time that the AF system of a mirrorless camera can achieve high performance with lenses originally designed for DSLRs.

Five-axis image stabilisation optimised for 42.4 MP The new flagship Alpha 7R II model is equipped with an innovative five-axis image stabilisation system that has been fine-tuned to support its high-resolution shooting capacity. Similar to the system launched on the acclaimed Alpha 7 II model, this advanced form of image stabilisation corrects camera shake along five axes during shooting, including angular shake (pitch and yaw) that tends to occur with a telephoto lens, shift shake (X and Y axes) which becomes noticeable as magnification increases, and rotational shake (roll) that often affects video recording. This camera shake compensation system is equivalent to shooting at a shutter speed approximately 4-5 steps faster[iv].

Additionally, the five-axis stabilisation works cooperatively with Sony Alpha lenses with optical SteadyShot™ (OSS) to provide maximum stabilisation and clarity, while also performing admirably via a compatible mount adapter with Sony Alpha A-mount lenses[v] without on-board stabilisation. Effects of the stabilisation can be previewed via live-view on the LCD or OLED viewfinder of the camera.

Unrivaled 4K movie shooting performance The impressive video credentials of Sony’s new Alpha 7R II camera include the ability to record movies in 4K quality (QFHD 3840×2160) in either Super 35mm crop mode or full-frame mode.

In Super 35mm mode, the camera collects a wealth of information from approximately 1.8x as many pixels as 4K by using full pixel readout without pixel binning and oversamples the information to produce 4K movies with minimal moire and ‘jaggies’.

In full-frame mode, the Alpha 7R II utilises the full width of the 35mm sensor for 4K recording, allowing users to utilise the expanded expressive power of the sensor. It’s the world’s first digital camera to offer this in-camera full-frame format 4K recording capacity.

The camera utilises the advanced XAVC S[vi] codec during video shooting, which records at a high bit rate of 100 Mbps during 4K recording and 50 Mbps during full HD shooting.

Additionally, the Alpha 7R II model features a variety of functions to support a professional video workflow including Picture Profile, S-Log2 Gamma and S-Gamut, 120fps high frame rate movie shooting in HD (720p), time code, clean HDMI output and more.

Enhanced design, operability and reliability The new full-frame Alpha 7R II has an upgraded XGA OLED Tru-Finder™ with a double-sided aspherical lens that delivers the world’s highest viewfinder magnification of 0.78x for crystal clear image preview and playback across the entire display area. ZEISS® T* Coating is also utilised to reduce unwanted reflections that interfere with the shooting experience.

The camera has an extremely solid, professional feel in-hand thanks to its light, rigid magnesium alloy design, and has a re-designed grip and shutter button compared to its predecessor. There is also a new mechanism to conveniently lock the mode dial, and an expanded range of customisable functions and buttons to suit even the most demanding photographers.

The new Alpha 7R II camera is Wi-Fi and NFC compatible and fully functional with Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile™ application available for Android and iOS platforms, as well as Sony’s growing range of PlayMemories Camera Apps™, which add a range of creative capabilities to the camera. For example, there is more creativity available now for time-lapse photography thanks to a new ‘Angle Shift add-on'[vii] app that allows users to easily add pan, tilt and zoom to time-lapse images without any additional shooting equipment or PC software required. Learn more at www.sony.net/pmca.

Sony has also introduced a new LCD monitor model CLM-FHD5, an ideal companion to the Alpha 7R II for video shooting. A compact 5.0 type Full HD (1920x1080p) LCD monitor, the CLM-FHD5 features enlarging and peaking functionality for precise focusing, false colour and video level marker for adjusting exposure and S-Log display assist to assist S-Log shooting.

[i] Expanded ISO range available only for shooting still images [ii] Amongst digital still cameras. The viewfinder magnification is approx. 0.78x (with 50mm lens at infinity, -1m-1). As of June 2015, based on Sony research [iii] According to Sony internal testing, with the electronic front curtain shutter activated [iv] Based on CIPA standards. Compensates for angular shake (pitch and yaw). Measured using a Sonnar T* FE 55mm F1.8 ZA lens, with long exposure noise reduction turned off [v] Some lenses are not compatible with five-axis image stabilisation [vi] An SDXC memory card with a Class 10 or higher speed rating is required for XAVC S recording and UHS Speed Class 3 is required for recording at 100Mbps [vii] In European countries where PlayMemories camera apps are currently available

Please keep me up to date with special offers and news from Amateur Photographer and other brands operated by TI Media Limited via email. You can unsubscribe at any time.

We'd also like to send you special offers and news just by email from other carefully selected companies we think you might like. Your personal details will not be shared with those companies - we send the emails and you can unsubscribe at any time. Please tick here if you are happy to receive these messages.